The Osceola times., 1887-05-07
Is 1T CARNIVOROUS?
Facts About the Pitcher Plant by
Noted Naturalist.
A Denial that the Plant Has an Animals
Digestive System-How the Inse Is Are
Imprisoned and Ingeniously Utilized.

Much has been written about the
carnivorous habit of the pitcher plant,
and good deal of it, though bearing
the sanction of men high in scientific
circles, has been misleading, not to say
untrue. The plant no more eats insects
than other plants eat earth or soil.
The unfortunate flies, moths, beetles,
etc, that are entrapped i'll the trumpets
are simply treated, by the inner part of
these curious leaves, just as soil is
treated by the plants roots. Indeed
the leaf of the Sdrracenial is nothing
more than a modified root specially or
ganized for feeding the plant from
above the ground. The more / have
watched the so-called digestive process
the more have been inclined to be-
lieve that the plant is wholly passive
in the matter, simply receiving what
comes to it in the way of food. Ihave
been unable to note any, even the
slightest, evidence of sensitiveness TO
the presence of insects.
rs W iHt pldni UltdHs VI capturing
its prey, it takes it just as the purple
fiowered milkweed captures honey-bees
by poisoning them. The minute ella
or pubescence on the inner lining OF
the leaf can not be strong enough to
hold large beetle until il dies of hun
ger. The nectar in the deep pitcher is
very attractive to insects, and. like
many other fascinating things,is dead
ly. No doubt many very small flies
and the like are held by the mere
"stickiness' of the fluid in the pitcher;
but have seen strong bugs that were
able to tear the receptacle open, con-
quered at once, evidently by sip of
the tempting wine after which they had
SO recklessly plunged head foremost.
OF some hundreds of pitchers dis
sected, taken from an area of four or
five acres, less than 3 per cent were
without animal matter more or less de-
composed in their tubes. In one in
stance lar c butterily-brown, with
orange markings-was so crowded into
the hollow of thrifty leaf that it had
the appearance of having been put
there by some extrinsic force. Decay
of its tissue was ju beginning
The scapes upon which the flowers
are set rise from the root directly, and
have no connection with the trumpet
leaves. Indeed, small rootlets were
found springing out from the lower
part of the scape itself.
One magnificent bloom, taken on the
twentieth of February. had the follow
ing dimensions Three purple-veincd
bracelets of a yellowish green, some
what swollen, 3xl inch; five scpals,
2xl4 inches, and five petals, fiddle
shaped, 3x2 inches, all of pale but
singularly shecny grecnish yellow The
center of the flower is formed by five
pointed ncurved covering to the style
which constitutes a closed box, in which
are shut the short stamens, packed ina
circle around the central support of the
umbrella-like cap.
In number of instances found that
Insects had cut their way through the
cap and had died in the cavity where
they were found adhcring to the sta
mems In every ease where the cap had
been pierced the dead insects were
found, and some of them had dccompos-
ed very rapidly.
The odor of these flowers is not strong
when, first pluckcd, but after n large bou-
quet of them had stood for two days in
my room the scent became rank beyond
endurance, though not distmguishablc
more than three feet distant from them.
This odor suggests asphyxia and every
thing else there is disagroeable.
The artist was not unwilling to adj
nit any thing repul.ive in connection
with the beautiful models before which
she sat day fter day making sket hes
from every possible point of view; but
i noticed that, although the flowers did
not wither when placed with their
scapes in water, she renewed them
every day. just here | may add, as II
strictly botanical fact, that she chcwed
gum necessarily while making her
studies, but the gum was the fragrant
and delicately delicious rosin of the
liquid amber tree which grows TO per-
fection in the sloughs of the gulf coast.
and is said to have artistic affinite5,
aristocratic associations, and ennobling
virtue generally.
OF the five southern species of Sara
cenid, the crimson or purplish crimson
lowered $. rubra and the grand purple
s. Drummondit are not so common,
according to my observation MS the
other three. hopart1i plant, although
very curious. is the least beautiful of
sll the species. OF the two ycllow-fow
cred species rs i'arsolnris and $.
f1vraJ. s,,e latter Is finer; SissIrctl. ]
lhtnk 4. az msst bcautiful Y them "